So I Will Dance With Cinderella
by Soshite
Summary: AU In a world where a father can watch his daughter grow up as he remains the same, never to change, all he could do is dance with her. 777 and Rhyme, but not in the way you'd expect it.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** So I Will Dance With Cinderella

**Author:** Soshite

**Summary:** AU In a world where a father can watch his daughter grow up as he remains the same, never to change, all he could do is dance with her. 777 and Rhyme, but not in the way you'd expect it.

**Rated:** T

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The World Ends With You/It's A Wonderful World, its storyline or its characters. They belong to Square-Enix. Random weird interpretations belong to me.

**A/N:** Hey, bito_ishida....bet you never saw THIS one coming.

**So I Will Dance With Cinderella**

Part 1 of 2

It wasn't too hard to figure out any connection between them, if one looked properly. He had Beat's immaturity all down pat; he was also ambitious and had great dreams like Rhyme. Moreover, he had the blond hair that both the Bito siblings' current parents lacked. But obvious genetics was besides the point (if one had to go strictly by genetics, then the _real _mother of Beat and Rhyme would have to be Mitsuki Konishi and anyone who was anyone would know that Konishi would rather suffer a hundred kidney stones than give birth to _Daisukenojo Bito_).

Hanako Bito, formerly known as Hanako Shichisebun common-law wife of Nanatsu Shichisebun, an indie rocker some decades back who never managed to make it big due to being stabbed to death by a fan onstage during a show only a few months after his second-born came into the world, had straight black hair and brown eyes common to all Japanese folk. Hirofumi Bito was likewise, his hair only a few shades lighter—just barely enough to be called dark brown, now sprinkled with some gray hairs due to the stress of working overtime to feed his family, pay off the mortgage, send his kids to school and having to deal with a suddenly driven Beat who wanted to put all of his time and efforts into becoming the world's best skate boarder. Much to the horror of both now well-to-do parents.

It also hadn't been hard to pry the truth out of his lips after catching him stalking the two blond siblings, as if he was on a mission, through the use of the UG. They couldn't see him, but he could spot them just fine. Well, mostly. He still had an adoring fanbase to please, music to play and gigs to get to, so he had to tune his frequency to that of the Real Ground rather frequently, which often led to him bumping into the once-Players at the club the band liked to play at and having the most awkward of silences befall them before running off somewhere in the opposite direction.

Tenho really thought that 777 was being a real pussy about it. Honestly. It wasn't as if Daisukenojo of all people would cut off his hand or something. Or was it 777 the one who was supposed to cut the kid's hand off? Either way, random sci-fi references aside, Tenho knew that the kids had to know somehow—or they would eventually find things out the hard way. The _wrong_ way. Take it from a guy who killed himself over stress and parental problems. The way the blond vocalist was dicking around when it came to the touchy subject of his parenthood, it could lead to something bad if they found out in a way they shouldn't.

But that was the thing, wasn't it? That word. 'If''. Their world was defined by so many 'ifs', plagued by people who constantly second guessed themselves and couldn't live in the moment and moving on to a better future. Rhyme was the perfect example. Her fee had been her dreams and ambitions; lost and never to be given back again. But that was alright, because she could make new dreams and slowly build towards new goals. That was the great thing about being human. About being alive.

That's why they were dead. Because they couldn't let go and couldn't move on. They were too stuck on what once was, what could have been and what they wish to be.

The lives that Reapers live in the Real Ground could not really be called lives. Stay too long and people become suspiscious; look too much like your 'father' and folks look at you funny and wonder why you have your hair gelled exactly the same way as your old man and why you have a birthmark in the same place and so on and so forth. They were doomed to be stagnant, in a way, if they didn't figure out that there was room for change, a time to be different.

Tenho was happy the way things were for himself, honestly. Kind of hypocritical of him, but it had its purpose. Even that one annoying Reaper who just wouldn't stop quizzing people to let them past his walls. And right now the Support Reaper knew that he had to kick his friend's ass into gear. And he was going to do it tonight of all nights!

It was one of those rare days off; no musical gigs that required intense amounts of rehearsing and setting up and no Reaper's Game to make them chase after Players to keep their points up and their paused lives still going. 777 was brooding like some anti-hero, perched atop the roof of a building, staring down darkly at the oblivious crowd beneath him. The reaper wasn't normally one for brooding, but there he was, just sitting there, not saying a word and not moving. Like time had truly stopped as he had been turned into a statue, forever to stay in that one spot until rain and time slowly erroded his body into nothing, but dust.

Tenho was there with him, just minding his own business for the most part; he and 777 often got together and just hung out, talked for a while about this and that. Sometimes BJ would join them, but he usually had his own agenda when they all had time off. Night was starting to fall and they hadn't said anything all day—not one word. Tenho had promised himself that he would get their dear lead singer's butt into gear this very same night, but the silence had lasted so long that he felt he couldn't speak word to 777.

777 suddenly spoke up.

"She asked me to dance with her, the other day," he said, breaking the silence at last. The blond reaper did not move from his spot where he had his legs over the side of the very tall building they were occupying. "She saw me; smiled at me and acted like we'd never met."

A pause.

"I thought I was going to cry. Like, _really_ cry, man."

Tenho balked at the idea of 777 crying, but wisely kept his mouth shut and just let the guy pour his heart out, if that was what he wanted. After all, if Rhyme had approached her own father just like that and 777 actually stuck around long enough on the physical plane to _talk_ to her, who was he to suddenly interrupt what would be seen by most as the perfect opportunity!

"She hadn't ask me to dance with her in years. _Years_, Ten'," the singer went on to say, now looking to the darkening sky instead of down below. The man turned to face his band mate and grinned widely. "She's got mad skills that kid—she's going to go far in life, yeah. She was only a little tyke, but man....I knew she had some talent the moment I took her hands and we just shuffled around, you know?"

Tenho didn't know, but he made a non-committal noise to urge 777 on. If this could reconcile father and daughter, at the very least, then he would dance the Macarena in a pair of rainbow Speedo underpants.

777 fell back onto the hard concrete of the roof, his long legs still dangling over the edge. He reached up into the sky, hands grasping for something that wasn't there...and would never be his anymore.

"Rai...I didn't get to hold you enough," the blond said to no one in particular. "Dad's sorry he had to go away...but I guess I'm glad that you don't remember your old man. At least you won't be saddened...with memories of something you can't have again..."

Silence fell again between them and it wasn't the comfortable companiable kind, either. This silence was one of those big awkward ones where you know that if you said something wrong, you'd get one hell of a reaction and since 777 was much stronger than Tenho—he wasn't a Harrier for nothing—he would probably get his face pounded into the ground and then some. 777 had one of the most vicious tempers of all of the resident reapers of Shibuya.

"So, uh..." Tenho had no idea what to say. Damn, was this hard. He had been so gung-ho about telling 777 to get off of his emo ass and just go talk to his kids, dead man-to-teenagers, and just get his hang-ups during life over with. He had plenty of time to watch them grow up and to talk to them, approach them and since his own daughter had come to him, well... "...Are you going to dance with her?"

777 frowned.

"Fuck yes." A larger frown marred the lead singer's normally smooth face and he growled. "She's met some guy and she wants to impress him for some stupid prom. No way am I letting my baby girl practice with him!"

And he stormed off. And Tenho sighed. And all was well in the small world of Shibuya. For now.

-----------------

Next chapter: 777 dances with Rhyme.


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:** So I Will Dance With Cinderella

**Author:** Soshite

**Summary:** AU In a world where a father can watch his daughter grow up as he remains the same, never to change, all he could do is dance with her. 777 and Rhyme, but not in the way you'd expect it.

**Rated:** T

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The World Ends With You/It's A Wonderful World, its storyline or its characters. They belong to Square-Enix. Random weird interpretations belong to me. 'Cinderella' is by Steven Curtis Chapman.

**Author's Note:** Nanastu, shichi, sebun are different ways of saying '7' in Japanese. Just wanted you all to know.

**So I Will Dance With Cinderella**

Part 2 of 2

_She spins and she sways to whatever song plays without a care in the world…_

It was late. And yet, he was still up scribbling away in his notebook, strumming away on his guitar. His wife had gone to bed long ago and he had kissed her good night. He needed to get this song done soon, because his band was going to be cutting their first CD and he wanted to make sure that they rocked! However, he was just stuck on this one stanza and it was driving him up the fuckin' wall!

_And I'm sittin' here wearin' the weight of the world on my shoulders…_

His shoulders sagged wearily and the blond set aside his guitar for a bit, when he heard small footsteps nearby.

He smiled.

_It's been a long day and there's still work to do…_

"Hey, Rai, what are you doing up, kiddo?"

_She's pulling at me, saying 'Dad I need you. There's a ball at the castle and I've been invited and I need to practice my dancin'. Oh, please, daddy, please'…_

"Dada…dance! Dance!" the little girl of two and a half demanded. She held her arms up, which made Nanatsu chuckle gently down at her. It was much too late for her to be up and dancing about and he really needed to finish his work before morning came. However, he was never one to deny his one and only princess for very long and before he knew it, he was shuffling around the room with his darling Raimu.

_So I will dance with Cinderella while she is here in my arms, 'cause I know something the prince never knew…_

It wasn't anything fancy and the girl tripped a lot and fell on her rump, but she would just get back right up to move with her father.

The man's heart swelled with pride at his daughter and her tenacity. She was so bright and beautiful and he wouldn't trade anything in the world for her. His precious girl.

_So I will dance with Cinderella, I don't want to miss even one song. Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight…_

Eventually Raimu tired out, the hour being later than late and dancing had tuckered her out. When it was clear the small child could no longer keep her eyes opened, Nanatsu picked her up, holding her close. He kissed the top of her head, smiling tenderly as he carried hr to bed with him and his wife, somehow finding it in himself unable to let her go. As if the next day he wouldn't be able to anymore.

Nanatsu closed his eyes, sighing, before opening them again.

_And she'll be gone._

In front of him was a young woman, staring up at him in awe. He would have smiled, if not for the fact that she was more like several feet away from him and not directly in front of him. The urge to hold her was enticing, but he held back. As far as anyone knew, they were virtual strangers; he was a singer and she was just another fan.

"Whoa! You actually _came_!" Rhyme stated, surprise obvious on her face. Here was one of Shibuya's most infamous indie band's lead singers standing right in front of her school gate, looking awkward and a tad annoyed as he was surrounded by lots of gawking fangirls.

"I promised I'd help you with your dancing, so let's go." His manner was a lot more brusque than he meant for it to be and 777 winced at his tone. Rhyme just smiled at him, happily following him as he led the way towards a studio where the two of them could practice her dancing in peace. The teenaged girl talked about this and that, mainly about school, her friends and topics that would have bored any man to tears, except 777 wasn't just _any_ man. He was her father and hearing about these normal mundane, everyday things made him smile and want to cry at the same time.

He missed so much and was going to keep missing out, until one day…

_She says he's a nice guy, that I'd be impressed…_

"777? You in there? Come on, there's just a week before prom, you know!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know, hold your horses…"

"Still can't believe you know how to waltz."

At this the singer grinned and gave the shorter girl a pat on the head. "I'm just full of surprises, aren't I?"

Rhyme gave the man a look, staring up at him intently as they stood together, hand-in-hand. Her gaze was pretty unnerving and the reaper worried if, perhaps, his cover had been blown somehow and she knew who he was, instinctively and if she was going to freak out or run or get some kind of supernatural restraining order on his ass, but then, she just shrugged.

"You think Kenta will be impressed?" she inquired as they started up their dance again. Slowly, one step at a time, though the music they played in the dance studio was going much, much faster than they were. 777 was patient, though, never raising his voice at her, despite the fact that he was famed for his short temper and inability to not yell at his road crew or his fellow band mates.

"Fuck, I hope so. The guy'd have to be blind and dumb not to be," was the caustic reply. There was a deep frown on his face, which made Rhyme giggle.

"You almost sound jealous," she stated, which made the reaper go green. That was _so_ wrong on _so_ many levels!

Shaking his head, he ignored Rhyme's bubbling laughter as he whirled and twirled around with her, marvelling at how pretty she was growing up to be. She had just bought her prom dress the other day with her mother – a nice long pink affair that swished wonderfully when she was spun around – and he was the first to see her in it. She wore no make-up and her hair was loose and flying everywhere, but he thought her beautiful already.

777 spun her out, the skirt swirling around her legs, then pulled her back in, holding her inappropriately close to himself as they started shuffling about. Rhyme squeaked in surprise, but did not move away.

"777?"

_She wants to know if I approve of the dress. She says, 'Dad, the prom is just one week away and I need to practice my dancing'…_

He didn't say anything.

'_Oh, please. Daddy, please.'_

"I'm okay. You just stepped on my foot," he lied, spinning her out once more and resuming their waltz, picking up the speed now that the girl was doing better. Hell, he was sure that in the next day or so she really wouldn't need him anymore for these afterschool lessons in dancing.

_So I will dance with Cinderella while she is here in my arms, 'cause I know something the prince never knew…_

They moved together across the dance floor, expertly now. Moving to the beat of the music, though he wasn't sure why she needed these lessons at all. The music was going to be vastly different from what they were listening to playing on an old record player he had scrounged up from all of his old stuff. Even had something nice and classical for the occasion. However, if it got him alone time with her, where he could listen to her voice talk about this and that, he was fine with it. He could live with it.

And he would eventually have to move on.

_So I will dance with Cinderella, I don't want to miss even one song. Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight…_

He let go of her hand, watching her go now to the boy who had asked her to be his date, a blank expression on his face.

Rhyme was perfect and beautiful and much too good for this Kenta guy who stuttered every other word, especially in sight of the reaper's little girl, who wasn't so little anymore. The blonde girl looked quite enamoured with him, though and took his hand eagerly before they stepped out together to have fun.

_And she'll be gone._

_She will be gone._

When she next found him, or rather, he found her, she was working in a music store. A new shop in Shibuya – one of many, in fact. She was a mess, with her long blonde hair in a haphazard bun on her head and wearing make-up, but he could never not recognize that little girl who used to ask him to dance all the time. And him? He had been out of the music business a while now, considering he was supposed to be getting on and years and wasn't; he 'died' in a plane crash that had all of his fans mourning his death twice as much as the first time he kicked the proverbial bucket.

No one had grieved over him as much as Rhyme had, though. However, being as he was a Harrier class reaper in the Composer's Game, it wasn't as if he could leave his post without being totally erased, so he always stuck around, close to his girl, watching her when he could. Things had gotten business in the UG again and he couldn't just rush off to see Rhyme whenever he wanted anymore and even then, his frequency was different from hers.

But sometimes…when she'd look off into space randomly – in his direction, to boot – he'd imagine that she was looking at him. And that the warm smile that would spread on her lips was also meant for just him.

_Well, she came home today with a ring on her hand…Just glowing and tellin' us all they had planned._

But he knew better. She was thinking of him. Of Kenta. That boy he had helped her to impress with her dancing skills at her high school prom. While he watched from the stage – his band had been hired by her school to perform a few sets – she whirled and twirled with him, looking every bit as entrancing as a fairy tale princess dancing with her prince. And that boy had fallen hard for her, then and there.

At midnight, he had witnessed them share their first kiss, which caused him to mess up a song by screeching when he should have been singing, choked up and angry all at the same time by what he had witnessed.

But nothing had made him looking more red (or green) in the face as when Kenta had asked her to marry him and she said 'yes'.

_She says 'Dad the wedding's still six months away, so I need to practice my dancing.'_

It had become hard watching her then, because he couldn't accept the fact that his girl was being taken from him. Far and out of his reach. They were going to move to Nagasaki. _Nagasaki_. And he would be trapped in Shibuya for the rest of his unnatural afterlife, never to know what would happen to her, how many children she'd have, how happy she'd be or if that Kenta kid was going to turn into some abusive bastard or not.

What really took the cake was when she asked her step-father to help her practice dancing for the wedding, which was going to be 'absolutely perfect'. He could watch. He couldn't stand it.

Losing his baby girl had been hard enough the first time.

'_Oh, please, daddy, please.'_

Tenho and BJ pretty much told him he was being an asshole. They told him to go to her wedding, even if she couldn't see him. 777 was going to regret not going, they told him and he should stop being such a dickhead and grow-up. Cause Rhyme already did. And she was getting married and _damn_ it, how many of _them_ were ever going to see any of their kids get hitched to someone they loved so much? Just 777, cause he was the only one who wanted to be a dad at 19.

When the guy still refused his two friends hog tied him and dragged him all the way to the church to watch the proceedings from the UG.

_So I will dance with Cinderella while she is here in my arms, 'cause I know something the prince never knew…_

They got in just in time to see the vows made between the two, before the reception began. Things started off with the bride sharing a dance with her father and 777 couldn't help the seething jealousy that emanated from his very core. His blue eyes bore into the back of Mister Bito's head as he moved his little girl across the ballroom floor that had been reserved for the occasion.

That should have been him there, dancing with her, for the traditional father-daughter dance. That should have been him the one to give her away and not someone else who lied about her parentage. That man never told Raimu he wasn't her real father and he most likely had no future intention to do so, so happy he was with the ready-made family he had. Obviously, he had no other children with Hanako or even tried. What a waste of a man, he thought viciously.

After the dance was over, speeches were being made and he didn't want to hear them, but Tenho and BJ made sure to keep him seat – and well tied – so he would go through the entire thing without running away or ruining his daughter's special day.

Finally it came down to a last minute speech from Rhyme and one 777 would never, _ever_ forget.

_So I will dance with Cinderella, I don't want to miss even one song. Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight…_

"Thank you everyone for coming here tonight. I am deeply touched by everyone's support and love and care and the work put into making this day the happiest in my life."

777 grumbled here, glaring daggers at his two reaper buddies for their mutiny.

"I especially want to thank my parents because, if it weren't for them, I wouldn't be here to today. I wouldn't have met all my friends and I especially wouldn't have met Kenta."

Here the blond wanted to rage and the other two reapers thanked heaven that no one could see or hear them, or they'd be kicked out for making a scene. 777 had the right to be angry though, because there was no way in Hell she'd be talking about him.

"Most of all…I am especially thankful for my father…"

777 let out a scream…

"…my first one."

…which immediately petered off into silence and he was shocked into listening what the bride was saying about him. How did she even know about him? Who told her? Why? He was so stunned that he hadn't even noticed BJ and Tenho loosen the ropes on him; he just watched his Rhyme. His beautiful, wonderful, bright Raimu giving a heartfelt speech about him.

And he felt awful and sad and happy and elated all at the same time.

And he cried. He really did, man. He cried at his daughter's wedding.

"His name was Nanatsu Shichisebun and he was a great man of vision and talent. And though I didn't know him that well, I know that he's been watching over me all this time and I wish I could have gotten to know him better. But he was a great man and a great father and husband and I hope that I could be just as great as him one day."

_Oh, Rai. Don't you know you're already greater than your old man? You're alive. And that's more than I could ever be._

The rest of the reception went off without a hitch, with 777 watching from the sidelines, quietly, subdued. BJ and Tenho had left early. The reaper stood behind the newly wedded couple at their table, near where Daisukenojo was sitting, laughing at his own awful joke. Her friends were there at the table, too, just talking and chatting things up before the night had to be over. At midnight the couple would be leaving for their honeymoon in Fiji, so they were taking the opportunity to spend as much time with their friend as possible.

But midnight came and the bouquet tossed – with Shiki catching it – and the two were off, speeding down some steps to the car that was to take them to the airport. 777 watched, as always, from a distance; he was at the door to the reception hall.

And, for a split second, right before she entered the car, she turned around and looked up.

She looked straight at him and smiled warmly. 777 looked around, wondering if she was looking at a friend or her mother or someone else, but saw no one. Just him.

His eyes locked onto hers and they brightened knowingly.

Tears threatening to fall from his eyes a second time that night, he reached out to her, though they were to far away to touch.

Rhyme pressed her fingers to her lips, then blew him a kiss.

And then, she was gone to her new life with her new husband.

And that was alright. All fathers, in the end, must say good-bye to their children and always, always, seemed to have something to regret.

"Rai…I didn't get to hold you enough."

_And she'll…be….gone._

**FIN**


End file.
